Immersion Corporation (NASDAQ: IMMR), the leading developer and licensor of touch feedback technology, today announced that it has entered into a multi-year licensing arrangement with Tokai Rika. With four manufacturing plants throughout Japan, over 5000 employees and 2012 revenues of 371B ¥, Tokai Rika is a leading supplier of automobile control systems and components for the world’s premier automotive OEMs. Under the agreement, Tokai Rika can offer Immersion’s haptic technology for their touch pad interfaces to automotive OEMs.

“As the leader in tactile feedback, Immersion is focused on working with industry leaders such as Tokai Rika to bring high quality tactile experiences that differentiate the automotive environment,” explains Dennis Sheehan, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Immersion. “Tactile feedback has repeatedly been shown to create safer and more confident drivers by reducing distraction and communicating information through the sense of touch. We’re pleased to bring the latest innovations in haptics to Tokai Rika’s product portfolio.”

Advancements in haptic technology have resulted in high quality, low-latency tactile interfaces that are now available with streamlined and cost efficient design options. Industry research continues to prove the safety and user experience benefits of incorporating tactile feedback into automotive touch interfaces. In the automotive environment, haptic feedback has numerous benefits, including:

Founded in 1993, Immersion (NASDAQ: IMMR) is the leading innovator in haptics, or tactile effects; the company's touch feedback solutions deliver a more compelling sense of the digital world. Using Immersion's high-fidelity haptic systems, partners can transform user experiences with unique and customizable touch feedback effects; excite the senses in games, videos and music; restore "mechanical" feel by providing intuitive and unmistakable confirmation; improve safety by overcoming distractions while driving or performing a medical procedure; and expand usability when audio and visual feedback are ineffective. Immersion's TouchSense technology provides haptics in mobile phone, automotive, gaming, medical and consumer electronics products from world-class companies. With over 1,300 issued or pending patents in the U.S. and other countries, Immersion helps bring the digital universe to life. Hear what we have to say at blog.immersion.com.

About Tokai Rika

Founded in 1948, Tokai Rika has refined its technology to be friendlier and closer to its user. Working from their perspective, Tokai Rika is focusing on safety, comfort and security. Tokai Rika offers human interface products that convey people’s intentions to their vehicles, security products that protect their valued vehicles, and safety products that protect their lives. Tokai Rika is contributing to the development of a society in which both people and vehicles exist together.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause the results of Immersion Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

All statements, other than the statements of historical fact, are statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the benefits and availability of Immersion’s haptic technologies.

Immersion's actual results might differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties associated with Immersion's business, which include, but are not limited to: unanticipated difficulties and challenges encountered in product development efforts by Immersion and its licensees; adverse outcomes in any future intellectual property-related litigation and the costs related thereto; the effects of the current macroeconomic climate; delay in or failure to achieve commercial demand for Immersion's products or third party products incorporating Immersion's technologies; and a delay in or failure to achieve the acceptance of force feedback as a critical user experience. Many of these risks and uncertainties are beyond the control of Immersion.

For a more detailed discussion of these factors, and other factors that could cause actual results to vary materially, interested parties should review the risk factors listed in Immersion's most current Form 10-Q on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements in this press release reflect Immersion's beliefs and predictions as of the date of this release. Immersion disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements as a result of financial, business, or any other developments occurring after the date of this release.

The use of the words "partner" or "partnership" in this press release does not mean a legal partner or legal partnership.

Immersion, the Immersion logo, and TouchSense are trademarks of Immersion Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.